"On Distinctions Of Languages."

appears to be understood as such , more especiall y by those peoples who reside near to the frontiers of Holland and in Rhenish Prussia , stretching away from Aachen to Cleves and the near laying districts . Finall y , I must beg very essentially

to differ from your honourable contributor in his opinion , " That the Dutch ( Hollandish ) language is for dignity , emphasis , and power , much superior to the English . " There is not an "Aechter Deutcher" or Hollander who would venture to so :

say and , I would state , that it is not the opinion of the very learned hi gh professor of the high school of Berlin , "For , " he says , " that for terseness , boldness , fulness , and comprehensiveness , there is no language extant that you can express yourself so

completely and so freely as in that of the English language . " This is also my humble opinion . Trusting that our mother tongue may ever hold this exalted pre-eminence , that we may be enabled thus to convey to other climes our Masonic zeal , and find " everywhere a home , " Yours fraternally , T . BUEDETT YEOMAN , 18 ° .

N . B . —Germans speaking disparagingly , and by comparison , call the Hollandish tongue "Piatt Deutch . " [ Piatt Deutsch is not confined , as our good Brother seems to say , to special districts ; nor is it to be considered as merely

" Border Dialect ; " it extends all over Germany , and is the national " lingo , " so to say , of the working classes . Halle is not , moreover , the purest German speaking town , we should feel inclined to say " Hannover and Braunschweig . " ]—EDITOR .

The Spirit Of Freemasonry.

THE SPIRIT OF FREEMASONRY .

( From Ihe Craftsman , and Canadian Masonic Record ) The following lecture was delivered in Pembroke , P . Q ., on the occasion of the festival of St . John the Baptist , by Bro . Rev . E . H . Jenkyns : —

_ This subject must be interesting as a historical subject , and is well calculated to furnish us with practical lessons of wisdom for the present . However unworthily we may treat such a subject , it cannot fail to interest us to investigate into the effects and impressions produced by a system which has ever counted the most refined ,

cultured , and scientific minds of the world as its most enthusiastic disciples . It must be something worth while to search into the principles of a system which has played so conspicuous a part in the grand march of civilization ; which so nobly put forth its might to rescue Europe and the East from the

tomb of a dark and dreary superstition ; which nobly maintained its character for liberty , intelligence , judicial , and comprehensiveness of views , when the night of ignorance brooded over the nations of Europe ; and which , when the divine rights of man were almost obliterated , yet presented a broad , clear platform upon which man should meet and deal with his

fellowmen . Such a subject cannot be without its lessons , and we trust our survey of it may not be without profit . It is a customary expression with us , that when a man is of a very bad character of disposition , that his mind is essentially

bad ; and so , on the contrary , we say of a good man that his mind is essentially good . In the same sense we speak of the spirit of Masonry as the grand controlling princi ple of soul , -which reveals its active operations , and which connects it with every good

word and work . There is a disposition amongst men to overlook , disregard , or forget even the noblest principles , and to fall below the requirements of acknowledged standards , and instead of moving according to the exact square or plumb , they move in a zig-zag or shuffling manner . And it is no disrespect to the brethren present , to say

that in many respects we fail to come up to the requirements of Masonic standards . And as we glance at the fundamental principles of Freemasonry , as these have been from time to time laid down in the ancient charges , this fact will appear still more apparent .

It is to be regretted that some Masons see nothing in Masonry but certain forms and ceremonies , and that it presents opportunities of social gatherings of the brethren , The very language of the Masonic Ritual ought to convince such brethren that

Freemasonry teaches by symbols . When Freemasonry became a speculative rather than an operative fraternity , the temple of Soloman , in its construction , completion , and dedication , became the great symbol of the Brotherhood . That building was not remarkable for its size , for we find that the temples of Isis and Osier were of much